Monday, 29 July 2013

Bauer's acquisition of Absolute Radio

Eventually, Bauer have won the prize London FM slot alongside two more slots on the Digital One DAB multiplex that it's been alleged they've been attempting to acquire for months.

Absolute Radio, the AOR format station which was previously Virgin Radio also operates a national AM licence, six decades stations and a classic rock format on digital radio and online.

Bauer already have complimentary rock orientated brands such as Q, Kerrang! and Planet Rock, the latter which recently launched on FM in the West Midlands.

So what could Bauer do with it's new acquisition? In the press statement from Bauer and One Golden Square, the brand is staying, yet that doesn't mean it'll stay in it's present form. Bauer cut costs from the then digital only Planet Rock on-air by axing live shows from 7pm and airing repeats of weekend specialist shows. It's almost certain the station will move from One Golden Square to Bauer's hub a few minutes walk away to share with Kiss, Magic 105.4 and Planet Rock.

I believe that for Planet Rock to increase it's share in the London area, it'll need to replace Absolute Radio on 105.8 FM. An FM presence in London, the most competitive market in the country is important for national advertisers to hear what the brand is about. This is why Smooth Radio despite having little or no regional output still uses 102.2 despite having a flagging share in the capital. This is a high risk strategy as Absolute has taken five years to gain some form of a presence after rebranding from Virgin Radio in that market.

Absolute has a higher share of listeners over Virgin Radio, however the latter only had two digital spin off stations which you could only hear in the London area. Absolute has invested heavily in DAB and satellite transmission for it's seven digital spin-offs across the country with the 80s and 90s stations on the national Digital One multiplex.

So considering Bauer are committed to Absolute, this 'could' happen.

London FM: Planet Rock replaces Absolute to provide a regional FM network for London and the West Midlands. In London this provides a new format for the capital.

1215 AM: Stays as Absolute Radio. My own personal opinion is to replace it with PR, but I doubt it'd raise share in the likes of Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh even if had classic rock on it instead. Those who listen to PR there already use DAB.

Digital One DAB: Absolute Radio and 80s stay, although the latter is rebranded under one of Bauer's brands which can skew the playlist away from rock to AC which will enable the 80s station to reach it's full potential without the stigma of trying to be uber cool too. 90s is axed.

Local DAB multiplex relays of the decades stations: All axed. With the exception of Classic Rock, the 60s, 70s and 00s stations have very little reach. These could be sold to OXIS Media for their expansion of Jack FM.

I really hope as many staff from Absolute are kept on as possible. Despite the Islington skewed nonsense from management which I felt dogged their five years on-air, those with a real passion for radio not just on-air have an affinity for a station which has had an interesting history over the last twenty years.

The 'real' music era nonsense and cheap publicity stunts such as banning Cliff Richard are coming to an end.

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About Radio Rental

Welcome to Radio Rental.

Radio Rental is a former contributor to media discussion boards, specialising in discussing UK radio from an anorak point of view.

Unlike most contributors to forums, Radio Rental has no connection to an existing radio station, nor is stuck with a viewpoint that commercial radio should return to the Independent Local Radio (ILR) model of the 70s and 80s as the marketplace wouldn't allow it.

Radio Rental's aim is to provide a common sense and a realistic viewpoint about UK Radio without any agenda against or towards one radio group or another.